Tax Talk With The Canadian Taxpayers Federation

Prince George's Irvin Leroux fought with CRA for two decades after they incorrectly calculated his taxes, shredded his documents and seized his property. While he was never made whole by the CRA, he did win a stunning victory for all Canadian taxpayers - a judge ruled that the CRA owes a duty of care to the taxpayers it polices. The CTF's VP-Communications Scott Hennig and Tax Talk host Jordan Bateman break down what that ruling means for all taxpayers.

First past the post, single transferable vote, proportional representation: how should Canadians elect MPs? And how do we approve changes to how we vote? Canadian Taxpayers Federation federal director Aaron Wudrick joined Tax Talk Live hosts Paige MacPherson and Jordan Bateman to talk electoral reform.  

Despite running on a platform of openness and transparency, one of the first actions of the Trudeau government was to buckle to the pressure of a few inconvenienced chiefs and suspend the First Nations Financial Transparency Act. The Act forces every First Nations band to post the wages of their elected officials and financial statements - basic building blocks for political accountability. CTF Prairie Director Todd MacKay and Manning Centre director of strategic communications Colin Craig have seen first hand the good this Act has done. They joined Tax Talk host Paige MacPherson to talk about this Trudeau blunder.

Big changes are in store for Canadian taxpayers in 2016, and the CTF's research director Jeff Bowes helps break them down with Tax Talk hosts Paige MacPherson and Jordan Bateman. Plus they make some 2016 predictions, including pondering the possibility of "Canadian" Ted Cruz in the White House.

To cap off 2015, Paige MacPherson (CTF Alberta director), Todd MacKay (CTF Prairie director) and Jordan Bateman (CTF B.C. director) get together to give Santa a hand on the 2015 Taxpayers' Naughty and Nice list. Who should get a big present from Santa? Who should get a lump of coal? Tax Talk returns live Jan. 8, 2016.

For the first time in a decade, there's a new Prime Minister in Canada. Justin Trudeau has taken the big chair and that means big changes for Canadian taxpayers. CTF federal director Aaron Wudrick helps hosts Jordan Bateman and Paige MacPherson figure out what could be coming in the next four years.

Longtime activist Jodie Emery joined Paige MacPherson and Jordan Bateman to talk about new Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's promise to legalize, regulate and tax marijuana in Canada. What challenges will this pose? How do we price out the black market? What public policy implications does this create? Plus our usual features - In The News and Waste of the Week.

Our first ever live Tax Talk is in the books - Paige MacPherson, Jordan Bateman, Christine Van Geyn and Todd MacKay talked about everything from Saskatchewan liquor laws, debt clock tours, Calgary's poop palace, Ontario's union kickbacks, and tax credits for muffin stumps. Check it out below - and join us live Friday, Nov. 27, 2015 (9AM Pacific, noon Eastern) at www.taxpayer.com/taxtalk, when we talk with Jodie Emery about legalizing and taxing marijuana in Canada.

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation has a new voice in Ottawa: recovering lawyer Aaron Wudrick has taken over as the CTF’s federal director. Aaron joins Tax Talk host Jordan Bateman to share what drew him to the CTF, how his experience in law will shape his view of taxpayer issues, whether his young daughters have brainwashed him into loving the movie Frozen, and what he thinks of income splitting. Plus our usual features – a very special Comment of the Cast featuring the late Rod Love and Ralph Klein, and our Waste of the Week!

The First Nations Financial Transparency Act, a bill fought for by Canadian aboriginals and the CTF, has been in place for several months, and more than three-quarters of bands have now filed financial statements and politician pay. What have we learned? What needs to be improved? And will the FNFTA actually help public policy? CTF Prairie Director Colin Craig joins Tax Talk host Jordan Bateman to talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly of the FNFTA. Plus our usual features – the Comment of the Cast and our Waste of the Week!

In Canada, paying for our government requires robbing Peter to pay Paul. But what happens when Peter retires? CTF Ontario Director Candice Malcolm explores that question – and the 3-Ds of Canadian public policy (debt, demographics, and dependency) in her new book, "Generation Screwed". Candice joins Tax Talk host Jordan Bateman to talk about the book, whether it bashes Baby Boomers, and how to get out of this fiscal mess. Plus our usual features – the Comment of the Cast and our Waste of the Week!

Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger pitched five senior cabinet ministers out the door after they had the temerity to stand up to their gruesomely unpopular boss. (Of course, those five joined lockstep with Selinger to bring in a sales tax hike, but now they want him gone!) Obscure backbencher Greg Dewar was promoted to Finance Minister – but how long until Selinger gets the boot? CTF Prairie Director Colin Craig joins Tax Talk host Jordan Bateman to figure out what it all means to Manitoba taxpayers. Plus our usual features – the Comment of the Cast and our Waste of the Week!

The CRTC showed its dinosaur credentials by going after Netflix and YouTube – but the CTF's federal director Gregory Thomas joins Tax Talk host Jordan Bateman to offer a simpler, better solution to the ongoing tax inequity. Plus our usual features – the Comment of the Cast and the Waste of the Week!

Brian Gallant and the Liberals swept to power in New Brunswick this fall, rising an anti-resource message that may end up costing NB taxpayers dearly. CTF Atlantic director Kevin Lacey joins Tax Talk host Jordan Bateman to break down that result, with some bonus coverage of Nova Scotia's ongoing Bluenose II debacle. Plus our usual features – the Comment of the Cast and the Waste of the Week!

The CTF’s federal director, Gregory Thomas, is leaving the organization to return to B.C., after four years as the federal face of the CTF franchise in Ottawa. Gregory joins CTF B.C. Director and Tax Talk host Jordan Bateman to look back on his accomplishments as federal director, and what taxpayers need to be leery of in the coming years. Plus our usual features – the Comment of the Cast and our Waste of the Week!

Fifteen years ago, then-Alberta treasurer Stockwell Day introduced a single rate tax in Alberta, and the table was laid for a decade of unprecedented prosperity in that province. At the World Taxpayers Association conference in Vancouver, Stockwell shared the Alberta experience with representatives of 25 different taxpayers associations from around the world. Plus our usual features with Jordan Bateman – the Comment of the Cast and our Waste of the Week!

Paul Martin served as Canada's 34th finance minister from 1993 to 2002 and Canada's 21st Prime Minister from 2003 until 2006. During his time in office, he balanced Canada's budget for the first time in a quarter century, debt as a percentage of GDP dropped from 81% to 45%, and interest payments decreased from 30 cents on the dollar to 13 cents. For these achievements Paul Martin was honoured by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation on May 31st, 2014, and presented with the "Stop the Clock" award for getting Canada's finances in order and reducing Canada's debt. This podcast features an excerpt from his acceptance speech. Plus our usual features – the Comment of the Cast and our Waste of the Week!

It’s municipal election season in British Columbia, Manitoba and Ontario, and the CTF’s Prairie Director Colin Craig has put together a menu of 25 campaign platform planks he hopes city candidates will adopt. Colin joins B.C. Director and Tax Talk host Jordan Bateman to run through those recommendations and talk about the plight of the property taxpayer. Plus our usual features – the Comment of the Cast and our Waste of the Week!

Next month, nearly 200 delegates from around the world and across Canada will converge on Vancouver for the World Taxpayers Associations’ biennial conference. Some 68 organizations, spread across 54 countries – including the Canadian Taxpayers Federation – are part of the WTA. The CTF's president and CEO, Troy Lanigan, joins Tax Talk host Jordan Bateman to talk about it all. Plus our usual features – our Comment of the Cast and Waste of the Week.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. It was a budget surplus, it was a budget deficit. It was a tax freeze, it was a tax increase. It was Saskatchewan, it was Manitoba. Yes, the two prairie provinces are trending in very different directions. The CTF's prairie director, Colin Craig, joins Tax Talk host Jordan Bateman to talk about it all. Plus our usual features – our Comment of the Cast and Waste of the Week.